The holiday shopping rush — to the dismay of retail-working family members and Thanksgiving traditionalists — has taken a huge bite out of the ceremonial turkey dinner. As much as holiday conservatives have fought it, seasonal shopping begins before most families take the bird out of the oven.

To secure the bulk of doorbuster deals, you just have to take a slice of pumpkin pie to go.

The days of long lines that wrap around retail stores on Black Friday itself are predominantly over. Best Buy had one last year when it opened with a second set of doorbuster deals at 8 a.m the day after Thanksgiving, but the first wave for the electronics retail giant had come at 5 p.m. on the holiday. They’ve got the same plan this year, too.

Small clusters of shoppers gathered outside places like Westfield Sarasota Square and Staples for the crack of dawn Black Friday openings last year. There were and still are several players who keep their doors shut on the holiday. The plan worked well for employees and any shopper itching for those retailers’ first-in promotions, but the stores missed out on the kickoff hype. The competition in the wee hours was minimal because the crowds just weren’t there. This year Sarasota Square has switched back to a Thanksgiving Day opening.

Even though the crowds picked up midway through the afternoon on Friday, you’ve convinced me, Southwest Florida, that Black Friday in its traditional sense is dead.

And so I, like the bulk of the retail world, also will be working on Thanksgiving.

I’m going to start making my rounds around lunchtime, and I expect the most dedicated shoppers will have camped out well before then.

JCPenney is kicking off the openings this year at 3 p.m. and is offering coupons for the first people in the door, valued from $10 to $500. Those $500 coupons and the early opening could be enough for the department store to build on some of the momentum it’s recently had in the retail market. A lot of retailers have been hurting this year, but it’s been less so for JCPenney. In theory, a shopper could try for one of those $500 coupons and still nab a decent spot in line for a store with a 6 p.m. opening.

Best Buy, Macy’s and Toys “R” Us are all fighting for the 5 p.m. crowd.

Ellenton Premium Outlets, the Mall at University Town Center, Westfield Sarasota Square, Kohl’s, Target, Walmart and Bealls will all start their sales at 6 p.m.

While the chaos and the lines will likely be reserved for Thursday night, there are a number of retailers that are bucking the trend.

Several of the Mall at University Town Center’s retailers will be offering exclusive sales and deals to customers who come out for the grand opening day.

Here’s a list of stores and sales:

Saturday Oct. 11:

Macy’s: Soft opening. The store will be open to the public fr om 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Buy a $5 pass to get coupons like $10 off a $25 purchase. All proceeds will go to 42 different local charities. More than 5,000 tickets have been sold already. Patrons also can enjoy free food and entertainment and have the chance to win a $500 Macy’s gift card.

Dillard’s: Soft opening 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Thursday Oct. 16:

Apple: The first 1,000 customers inside the new store will take home a complimentary Apple T-shirt.

Brio Tuscan Grille: Enjoy a complimentary appetizer, bruschetta or flatbread, with purchase of two entrees at lunch or dinner. Through Nov. 9.

Chico’s: $20 off your purchase of $80 or more when you mention this Facebook post. Get a chic necklace with any $100 purchase.

Macy’s: The first 400 customers will receive a $10 Macy’s gift card. For more Macy’s giveaways and events, click here.

Dillard’s: The department store will be giving away more than $25,000 in prizes to shoppers who participate in activities set up around the store. Shoppers will receive keys that could open a treasure chest with prizes inside. The games begin at 10 a.m. For more Dillard’s giveaways and events, click here.

Everything But Water: Shoppers can purchase exclusive necklace to benefit Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national information and support organization. The lariat necklace with pink crystal detail retails for $38 with 25 percent of the proceeds going to LBBC. Through Oct. 31

Chico’s: Chico’s will donate $10 from the sale of every leopard print scarf to Stand Up To Cancer from Oct. 16 until Oct. 31.

UTC: Spend $350 or more any time Oct. 16 through Oct. 19 and receive a signature, limited edition UTC wristlet free from the customer service desk.

Panera Bread, which will open a new restaurant across Cattlemen Road from the mall, is hiring too. The company will host a second job fair Sept. 12 &13. Applicants can apply online or attend the fair at the new store.

Macy’s opened a employment center in Sarasota on July 26. The two-story department store that will anchor the mall will employ 175 people at the new mall. To learn how to apply, click here.

Brio Tuscan Grille, one of several new chain restaurant concepts coming to the Mall at University Town Center, will hire up to 130 positions to staff the eatery. To learn how to apply,click here.

To see a full list of retailers coming to the Mall at University Town Center, click here.

The Herald-Tribune reported reported stores like Apple, Anthropologie, Crate & Barrel and others will open in the Mall at University Town Center last year. The 880,000-square-foot retail center will open October 16.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Chain store sales in June were the highest they’ve been in years as pent up demand from a blustery winter drove shoppers into stores, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Retail sales were up 1 percent during the last week of June over the previous week. But on a year-over-year basis, sales increased by 4.6 percent, the strongest pace analysts have seen since Dec. 31, 2011, an ICSC report shows.

“Business was up sharply for most segments, especially at department stores, apparel stores, discounters and wholesale clubs,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC research consultant.

Gas prices continue to rise

Gas prices continue to increase, according to data from AAA, auto trade group. The firm said that drivers in the U.S. will pay the highest gas prices over the July 4 weekend since 2008. High crude oil costs due to violence in the Middle East have kept the prices from declining just before the holiday weekend, as they have in the past.

Drivers will likely pay 20 cents per gallon more than they did on July 4, 2013, AAA data shows.

“Current gas prices are still cheaper than this year’s peak price and unlikely to deter people from traveling,” said Mark Jenkins, AAA spokesman.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Retail sales at chain stores across the county dipped slightly in mid-February, as most consumers took advantage of a break in this season’s cold snap and spent more time outside rather than in stores.

Retail sales were down 0.6 percent for the week ending Feb. 22, according to the International Council of Shopping Centers. On a year-over-year basis, sales slowed to 1.4 percent up over the same week in 2013.

“Temperatures turned warmer from coast to coast over the past week, but sales remained subdued as consumers enjoyed outside activities rather than shopping,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC vice president of research and chief economist. “Despite the broad based softness, some segments—such as wholesale clubs, specialty retail and furniture seemed to get a lift over the past week.”

ICSC researchers forecast that February sales will increase by 3 to 3.5 percent. Weather patterns will continue to impact sales.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Shoppers may have had more time to shop over Thanksgiving weekend this year, but fewer visited stores this year compared to last.

Sales at brick and mortar stores over Thanksgiving weekend were up about 1 percent over last year, however, foot traffic inside stores was down by 4 percent, according to Shoppertrak, a firm that analyzes foot traffic data. ShopperTrak data shows that shoppers spent $22.2 billion on gifts and tracked 1.8 million store visits over the four-day weekend this year.

In-store shopper traffic increased by 9.4 percent in apparel stores and departments, but traffic in electronics stores and departments was down by 6.5 percent. That said, Apple’s iPad and iPad Mini were the most sought after items over the weekend of Thanksgiving, according to PriceGrabber, an online shopping comparison website.

“Retailers stretched Black Friday deals and promotions across November – removing the focus from just one big day of shopping,” said Bill Martin, the founder of ShopperTrak. “Shoppers, in turn, paced themselves. They spread their shopping and spending not just across the holiday weekend, but also into the days and weeks before it, contributing to a decrease in last weekend’s shopper traffic. Customers also researched store merchandise online first and more often came to stores ready to buy particular products.”

The top places to shop over Thanksgiving and Black Friday were Amazon.com, Walmart, eBay.com, Best Buy and Target.com, Pricegrabber data shows.

Photo by Shelby Webb, Herald-Tribune staff.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

A holiday weekend, cooler weather, and even the end the of the federal government shutdown was enough to give retailers nationwide their first positive sales week for the month of October, according to data from the International Council of Shopping Centers.

“As the federal government shutdown came to an end, consumers were seemingly back in a mood to shop,” said Michael Niemira, ICSC vice president of research and chief economist, in a statement. “The shopping environment was helped by cold weather in the West and the Columbus Day holiday as catalysts for spending, but the ICSC-Goldman Sachs consumer channel-checking survey suggested that demand was very uneven by store type.”

ICSC research anticipates a sales increase between 3-4 percent for the month of October. The increase, though modest, is a good sign for retailers as the holiday shopping season rapidly approaches.

Additionally, the National Retail Federation calculates that the retail industry gained 15,200 retail jobs during the month of September, according to September labor figures, which equates to a 2.4 percent increase over 2012. That’s also a 2 percent increase than total private sector jobs over the past year, NRF data shows.

“While still cautiously optimistic about expectations for a solid fourth quarter, retail companies looking to hire seasonal positions in October and November need to first see evidence that our policy leaders will take a more constructive approach to the second round of discussions about our country’s fiscal health. Otherwise retailers will see continued erosion in consumer confidence as we witnessed with talks surrounding the government shutdown,” said Matthew Shay, president and CEO of the NRF.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics employment report showed that the economy added 148,000 jobs in September, which lowered the overall unemployment rate to 7.2 percent.

Photo by Dan Wagner, Herald-Tribune staff.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

The battle between Walmart and Publix for Florida shoppers is heating up again.

Walmart announce it will match buy-one-get-one-free sales from Publix and other competitors at all stores in Florida, the Sun-Sentinel is reporting.

The world’s largest retailer has been battling with Lakeland-based Publix Supermarkets this year through advertisement campaigns over which chain offers the lowest prices. Earlier this year, Publix posted billboards in the Tampa Bay area with messages that read: “Walmart doesn’t always have the lowest price.” The campaign was perhaps a response to Walmart’s television ads that show unsuspecting shoppers saving at Walmart.

Shoppers can use the Publix weekly circular ads and redeem those sale prices at Walmart stores across Florida. Although competitor’s ads are not required to receive discounted prices. For more information about Walmart’s price matching program, click here.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.

Retailers are anticipating a stronger back to school sale season this year, according to a recent survey.

Sales on back to school items, like notebooks, backpacks and computers, will increase by 4.3 percent in August according to research from ShopperTrak, a firm that analyzes retail foot traffic. The number of shoppers in malls and plazas across the country is expected to increase by 0.6 percent.

“Back-to-school shopping is the first major ‘shopping season’ of the calendar year, and has the potential to set the tone for the holidays,” said Bill Martin, ShopperTrak founder, in a statement. “The economy is, in many ways, stronger than it was last August. We expect that the 2013 season will continue the growth trend of both retail sales and foot traffic.”

Back to school sales have seen an upswing in activity over the years. Last year, back to school sales increased by nearly 6 percent over 2011, the survey shows. In 2011, sales were up 4.5 percent compared to 2010. The rise in sales is due in part to low unemployment rates near back to school time and a surge in consumer confidence. The University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index reached its highest level since the beginning of the recession in May 2013. It was the highest its been since Sept. 2007.

Summer time sales overall have been strong so far this year, according to data from the International Council of Shopping Centers, which is a good indicator for a strong back to school season. Retail chain store sales posted a gain of 3.9 percent in June, which is the strongest gain seen since January’s 4.5 percent growth.

“Excluding drug stores, the preliminary tally actually rose by a very strong 5.3 percent in June, which would be the strongest reading since August of 2012,” said Michael P. Niemira, vice president of research and chief economist for ICSC, in a statement. “Overall, these data continue to paint an improving picture after a ‘softer’ first quarter and are encouraging as we move into the second fiscal quarter of the year.”

For July, ICSC anticipates the trend to continue and sales will remain in the 3.5 percent range

Save the date: Florida’s tax-free holiday weekend for back-to-school shopping is Aug. 2-4. Florida shoppers won’t have to pay state or local sales tax on shoes and apparel priced up to $75 and school supplies up to $15 at that time.

For the first time ever this year, Florida shoppers also won’t have to pay sales tax on some electronics, like e-book readers, laptops, desktops and tablets, priced up to $750. Cell phones, video game consoles and other digital media receivers are not included in the tax break.

Photo by Jenna Isaacson, Herald-Tribune staff.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read What’s In Store in print on Tuesdays.